Today, March 8th is International Women's Day and I suppose its a fair question to ask: what does it mean? Why do we have it? Is it needed? Well in my opinion, it is probably more needed now than ever. Why? Because I think we've gone way overboard with what we tolerate as acceptable for our daughters (and sons - but in the spirit of the day I'll stick to girls today).
What do I mean? Well, for example I was on the school run this morning listening to the radio (BEAT fm) when Rihannas (pictured above in a still taken from the video) latest song 'Rude Boy' came on. Now don't get me wrong I like Rihanna. I think she's beautiful, talented, smart and sexy. All good things. Now sexy is an objective thing and I was 16 myself once (yes, can you believe it?) but I have to say that I thought the lyrics of 'Rude Boy' were just way over the top. Listen for yourself I won't go into them here. The video is also quite sexualised with her looking down a guys trousers - among other bits of wriggling and overtly sexual movements.
So what's the relevance to Women's Day? Well it is this: women are once again - with their full knowledge and complicitness, it seems - being dragged down the 'you're only valuable if you're sexy, doing it, half naked and have a boyfriend who is 'big enough' (according to this particular song anyway). What are we doing to our younger women - Rihannas major target market? They are exposed every minute almost, it seems to these images in magazines, music videos, song lyrics - all the things that they enjoy - and those things are becoming baser and baser and more rude and lewd pratically by the minute.
Take a half an hour and watch your daughters favourite music video channel - I think you might be surprised by what you see - and she sees on practically every video: half naked women - each it seems competing with the next to see who can wear the least (or at least the most provocative), foul language, VERY suggestive movements. It's fairly unbelievable to be honest - and I can assure you I'm no prude.
But it does seem to me that we are losing ground here. Women - and mere girls - are once again being lauded not for their singing or song-writing talent, but for their bodies and the more suggestive the lyrics the better! The treatment of men in the same videos is almost entirely different (with some exceptions in fairness).
Am I being unreasonable? Is it okay for 8 year olds to be wearing Playboy clothes? Is is okay for young girls to be stripped half naked and simulating sex on TV - because make no bones about it but that's where we have gotten to? I say it is not - and I am beginning to agree seriously with the British researcher who called last week for certain music videos to be only allowed after the nine o'clock watershed. I would add to that that songs with overtly sexual lyrics should also only be allowed on radio after the 9 o'clock watershed! Next time it comes on I will certainly be switching it off if my seven year old son is in the car. But should I be turning it off when the 16 year old is in the car? Probably not. She is, after all, old enough to understand and put in context this type of sexualised song.....or is she?????
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